Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season in Saturday’s 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.
However, the Lakers will appeal the technical foul, as it appears Magic's big man, Goga Bitadze, allegedly made unnecessary personal remarks toward Doncic’s family.
The six-time All-Star and Bitadze picked up the double technical foul with 1:19 left in the third quarter as they were jogging back after a made free throw by Doncic.
Luka Doncic Says Goga Bitadze Crossed the Line
FULL INTERACTION—
Luka Doncic tried to tell the refs about Goga multiple times in this game, then between free-throws he calmly explains to the refs what is going on, and they do NOTHING.
The second he says something back, they tech him. Corruption 🗣️🗣️pic.twitter.com/wAMOwXP0sL
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) March 22, 2026
After the game, the 27-year-old stated that Bitadze’s vulgar remarks about his family prompted his aggressive verbal response, which led to the foul assessment.
“Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech, but honetsly I wasn’t trying to,” Doncic said. “He said at the free throw line he will f*** my whole family. And at some point, I just can’t stand it. I gotta stand up for myself, but I know I got to do better. My teammates definitely have my back, and I let them down today.”
Bitadze responded to Doncic’s comments, stating that it wasn’t the truth about the situation.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done,’ Bitadze said via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I really respect everybody's family. Where I come from, it's really sacred, and we really respect each other's families. I would never directly say that.
“He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language. I played in Serbia, and I understand. I don't know if he knew I understood what he said, so I just said it back. It was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them.
“What [Doncic] came and said, I don’t think that’s the truth. I know that’s not the truth. I know what I said. ...I apologize if it crossed the line.”
If the NBA denies the appeal for the 16th technical foul, Doncic will miss Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.
In his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic continues to thrive, playing at an MVP-caliber level.
He added another historic mark to his brief Lakers’ tenure, notching his 35th game this campaign with at least 30 points, five assists, and five rebounds, setting the franchise record for most such performances.
It is also the most in the league this season, while it’s his 47th such game as a Laker, ranking seventh in team history, and his 215th career game that puts him fifth all-time behind James Harden (218).
He also became the first player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in nine straight games while winning all nine.
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